Moab 2012 - Bittersweet

That was it?...cant be, that was too easy, It showed a DD on the map! Is what we were thinking after we got to the top of Hogs Back and past the group of Mountain Bikers Watching us. Hard Scrabble Hill had been much worse. It may like a few spots depend on whether you are going up or down. The clouds were lightening and the heat was coming on strong by this point. We stopped often to hydrate and had snacks like beef jerky and peanuts along for protein to keep our energy up and it worked. Back at the sandy little hill called Hardscrabble Paul had pulled out an overheated Eatmore bar and that had been a disgusting mess that Chris and I had poked fun at. The Jerky and peanuts at least looked no worse for wear in the heat. Jerky looks like road kill no matter what, but is easy to pack and full of protein and electrolytes.

By my best figuring and the GPS track, I figured we had another hour to go before Shafer switchbacks and back up onto pavement to Moab. We however were running low on water already but figured we should be fine, despite the heat. Each of us had packed 3 liters, Chris and I in our Hydration packs and Paul between his pack and carrying bottles. Days earlier we had figured 5 liters each for this undertaking but had somehow forgotten. We were still finding places to stop and take pictures like newbies (hey we were) and somewhere on this last section Paul lost his Go Pro camera (with all the footage shot thus far on the trip still on the memory card) He didnt realize this until close to where White rim intersects Shafer road before heading up the switchbacks. He suggested going back to look for it, but without any remaining water supplies and getting low on fuel it would have ended badly. His camera had been in a pocket on his backpack that was bungeed on top of his spare fuel container. Somehow the pocket came unzipped and a couple of empty bottles along with the camera had worked free and ended up back on the trail somewhere. It would have been like a needle in a haystack and I think Paul knew that.

Since the trail was straight forward and easy to spot I ran sweep until the junction of Shafer road where the guys stopped to be sure which way to go. I motioned straight ahead to them just as a couple of vehicles approached having just descended the switchbacks. The first was a black jeep with a load of young kids in the back, and I motioned him to stop. I told the driver about Pauls camera just as a Park Ranger on a Yamaha WR 250 pulled alongside, so I told him about it as well. I explained that even if the camera was broken when found, we would really like the memory card back, and where we were staying. I then carried on, chasing Paul and Chris up the switchbacks that were in the shade by this time of day. Shafer switchbacks always make it into Moab ride reports and now I know why. They are a truly awesome ride. Shafer is made up of steep straight sections with loose, off camber corners, and a view that is not for those scared of heights. This is another example of very little room for error and Im sure that is part of the attraction. From just about any corner you can look back down on anyone following you, and realize just how quickly you gain elevation. We were getting overheated, were out of water and the day was slipping away so once on top we booked it for camp. Just about the time I connected with hwy 313 and not long after the turnoff for Dead Horse Point my fuel reserve light came on. I wasnt sure that I would make it but carried on and was 40 km into reserve (a new record) when we got to camp.

The plan had been to hit the Blu Pig after doing White Rim and that was still on, but gas up was going to happen first. The last time we went to the Blu Pig the food and service were awesome. I had the brisket and it was smoky- melt- in- your- mouth great! Chris wanted to try it this time. When we got there, the house blues guy was playing a set so we opted to sit in the lounge instead of the restaurant side. The hostess told me Brad will be your server and took us to a table. Apparently Brad didnt get the memo and we sat ignored for what seemed like an eternity without so much as a jug of water. I needed the washroom so I strolled past the reception and said to the Hostess Does Brad realize he is our server? She responded with a look of horror, What, he hasnt been over?! By the time I washed up and returned, Brad was taking drink and appetizer orders. He said Ill take your main food orders when I bring out the appetizer; they are really fast here since the food slow smokes all day. Absent Minded Brad then forgot 2 out of 3 drinks and was gone so fast that he forgot all about our dinner orders to. I had to grab him (while he wandered by in a daze) to take our order. He was very apologetic and this time the food did come quickly. The brisket must have run out a bit earlier and the one that Chris had had not been on the smoker nearly long enough and as such was very disappointing. My Voodoo Chicken was awesome.

Then I actually had to go into the kitchen to find Brad to pay up since he had disappeared again. Just when we were about to leave in came Jettin Jim and the KLR crew. We ended up drowning out the poor Blues guy (or maybe his set was done) but he gave up and left, sorry. We managed to finally get away and head back to camp, very much done for the day.

Over our extended dinner the night before we discussed that maybe an easier (read shorter) day tomorrow would be nice. A run down Kane Creek road and out over Hurrah Pass and out to Chicken Corners seemed to fit the bill. That morning after our daily trek to see the Muffin ladies we followed the gpx track that I had found on ADV. First I had to guide us through town out along Kane Creek road. This was a nice picturesque run along the river with plenty of spots to camp along the way ( I noted). We stopped by a funky brick rest area built against the hillside to lube the chains as we always did every morning once we warmed them up. The road soon graveled out and dropped into a deep narrow valley. The road ran across one tight paved switchback and along a huge rock wall. It wasn't long before we found the sign (and my gpx track was spot on) for Chicken corner.

First we climbed and twisted our way up Hurrah Pass. The trail was a decent width but had lots of rock steps and sharp turn over these steps and we had to pay attention. Just before the summit of the pass I came around a corner and to my right on a nice flat rock shelf was a Ford Fusion. I started laughing and later said to the guys "don't get that in the shots, we'll look like pussies" check for rental plates. When I got back from the trip I told my boss, whose wife drives one, "don't ever get rid of that car, they are the toughest cars on the planet!" Seriously, I think Ford must have brought it up there with a chopper, it looked to clean and I really don't think that it would have had the ground clearance to get there by itself. If it did then I would not want to see the underside of the car afterward.

From the Summit we could see something across the river valley near the Potash drying ponds. I broke out the 300mm lens, and had a look. It was a movie crew, and I could see a chopper, crew trailers and equipment trucks parked beside Shafer road. We would have to get a closer look in a day or two. We talked to a guy in a 4X4 pickup that was heading for Lockhart Basin road, and he was running ahead of us. He said he would pull over when we caught him. We lingered at the summit and took in the view for a while and never did catch up to him before the corner to Chicken. Along the way we encountered some deep, but short sand sections and I managed to surf my face into one deep pocket. Sand is so soft to Crash in, I like it! Thanks again to Paul for helping pick up the 990, you are getting good at it.

In one spot not far from the actual corner the trail becomes a bit hard to spot and I took a more rocky approach with large steps than Chris or Paul did (they stayed in the sand trough) but although stalling twice on the incline, didn't crash (gold star for me, I tried).

It was a cooker this day and we would go through a lot of water and sunscreen (it mixes well with sand, who needs a loufa). We met a group of Quads at the Chicken, Lockhart Basin turnoff, and Chris talked to them briefly asking about the trail. They had told him,"If you made it this far the rest is easy", Cool! Onward we went and Chicken corner was a bit anticlimactic but still very nice. We carried on past the point toward the trails end. I stopped to take a picture and heard a funny noise so I opened the fuel caps. This was a stupid thing to do in the blazing heat and I was sprayed with boiling fuel, good thing I don't smoke (Ghost rider anyone?) I decided that I would get back to the corner where shade could be found and be ready for the guys and a picture shoot. I knew that they had very little trail left ahead of them by the GPS track anyway. It was so hot the fuel stink went away quickly and the 990 with her boiling fuel was safely parked in the shade to cool down. What the hell did the desert racers do with these bikes if the fuel boils so easily? I even insulated the inner sides of both tanks before this trip to prevent this. Thankfully this would be the only day of the trip that I would have this issue.

After getting to the end of the trail the guys came back to the "Corner" and I took some action shots to prove they were no chickens. It really would be a bad place to run wide unless you were sporting a parachute. The guys after the photo-shoot relaxed in the welcome shade of the rocks as the quaders they had met at the trail's end trundled by.

Having again achieved our objective we headed back. The sand was fairly easy going back across, I guess I am learning how to sand surf a little at a time. As we weaved along the rock face (just before the summit of Hurrah) I was filming the guys and running sweep as such. We were following around a small slash Canyon and as I took a sharp right around a rock outcropping I had to climb a 10 inch step. I was standing on the pegs and leaned over to the right, my front wheel went up and over the step and as the rear tire hit the step and started up, I found myself on the ground under the bike (AGAIN). Paul was right, "Gravity is fast!" I hit the kill switch and started honking the horn. Paul and Chris were around the tip of the slash canyon and right across from me. I saw Chris look over and stop. He had heard the horn. Paul was just a head of him and around the next corner by then so he had no idea. By the time Chris got back to me I was up but just couldn't quite lift the big orange beast myself (especially with the hydration pack getting in the way) so he helped pick her up. We took refuge in the shade 50 feet up the trail for a minute and caught our breath. We met Paul at Hurrah Summit a few minutes later and explained what happened. The best I can figure is the rock step jogged my side stand and killed the engine mid corner. I must override that "safety" feature before it becomes a big problem one day!

The road back was just as much fun and we had a relaxing day at poolside when we returned.

Hey Lee---nice to see you made it down to the states----eh ????.
I'ts been years since I rode the white rim and it was nice to see your pictures.

By the way-----Lee (Lycan1) was the guy that helped me out on my ride to Alaska last year doing the
Kettle Valley Railroad on the way---------I thank you again for that-----eh !!!!!!.
His ride report on riding the railroad bed was so much help to me and my buddy Dingweeds.

Yes-----the big V-twin KTM's are a bear to pick up-----if you can even get it done.
I've pondered selling mine----it keeps me from going where I want to go to much-----eh !!!!!

Sorry about your sister----had to do the same thing when my mother died------run home for the funeral.
Yes---I need to call my sister---haven't talked to her in a long time.

Hey Lee---nice to see you made it down to the states----eh ????.
I'ts been years since I rode the white rim and it was nice to see your pictures.

By the way-----Lee (Lycan1) was the guy that helped me out on my ride to Alaska last year doing the
Kettle Valley Railroad on the way---------I thank you again for that-----eh !!!!!!.
His ride report on riding the railroad bed was so much help to me and my buddy Dingweeds.

Yes-----the big V-twin KTM's are a bear to pick up-----if you can even get it done.
I've pondered selling mine----it keeps me from going where I want to go to much-----eh !!!!!

Sorry about your sister----had to do the same thing when my mother died------run home for the funeral.
Yes---I need to call my sister---haven't talked to her in a long time.

Good to see you out riding.

Mark
BigDog

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Thanks Mark, that means a lot.

If I have inspired someone to call their brother or sister and keep in better touch, than I have done something useful. Our time here is short, sometime much too short.

Today Paul had relatives coming in from Grande Junction Colorado to meet up and take him for dinner. As such we all agreed to try and do something that would get us back early. Chris and I would go into town on our own after we got back and do some "touristing around" and find our own dinner.

With this plan we (of course) started our day with the lovely ladies at the Love Muffin, and I even tried a muffin, Oh so good! (Insert inappropriate joke here). Today we would head into Canyon Lands National Park Via Long Canyon, and then do Gemini Bridges roads and Dead Horse State Park.

We headed up 279 on the left, just north of the bridge on 191 over the Green River following the rock wall (climbers wall) along the canyon. We turned into Long canyon on the right and ran the (at first) easy canyon run in the early morning light. The road then quickly climbed via a series of switchbacks and became very steep. We were now officially entering "Pucker Pass" Coming around yet another tight switchback I saw the iconic (seen in so many ride reports on Moab) Rock tunnel, or as I call it the Doughnut Hole. We all made it under fairly easily and climbed into the sandy, narrow canyon for what the pass is named for. It has some fairly good, rock steps with deep powder in between. I managed to dig myself a trench but didn't crash. I was however in no need of the side stand as she was up to the swing arm again. With a little assistance on the slippery steps we (Paul and I) helped get Chris and the DR over the steps and to the top. This we didn't realize until the next day, having never been up this run before.

I was too afraid of dropping the big bike, getting up the dusty steps, in the very narrow canyon so I opted to turn around. It may have been doable but it wasn't worth the risk (to me) as the rock would be very unforgiving. Paul felt the same way, so Chris turned around (from the top) and came back down. Had we realized (at the time) how close we had come I think we would have persisted despite the risks. Back down the Canyon and up the highway to Gemini Bridges road. This was a breeze after our warm up in Long Canyon. We met another rider on a Yamaha 250 that we had talked to one morning at the Muffin. He described the white sand on Gemini road as "Moon Dust" and I think that was as accurate a description as is possible (not having been to the moon yet). The view of the highway into Moab from up on Gemini is worth the time alone to do the road.

The trail has a nice variety from hard pack wide red gravel to hard rock steps, to Moon dust troughs. The walk out to the actual namesake is also a must, unless heights terrify you. The road ends up on 313 and we checked out Dead Horse Point next, and wow what views there were, truly awe inspiring even if it was too late in the day for really good light, like sunrise would provide. Next time we would have to camp there.

Then off to Canyon lands National Park and some truly fun, twisty pavement in some sections, sorry my speedometer must have stopped working, oops. After exploring every inch of pavement we discussed returning on Shaffer road, but we might run late and Paul could not risk it, no big deal.

After lots of photos we returned to the Campground and cooled off, cleaned up and left Paul to the mercy of his relatives. I spotted what I though was them just as Chris and I were driving out the gate.

We parked in front of Zak's on the main drag. Great place for pizza and burgers as it turns out. It has an eclectic decor but very modern and clean. The food was reasonably priced and really good. After dinner we hit the Liquor store for another bottle of fine single malt scotch and went t-shirt shopping. I, also found a few new decals for the saddlebags (what can I say, it's a weakness). Back to camp we went to enjoy at least one of our purchases. I was disappointed that Wayne had packed up while we were out riding as we wanted to take him out for dinner, since the one time we dragged him along he insisted in paying. I hope his ride home to Nevada was a good one! Paul returned and reported that he had a good visit with his family and I was happy that he had managed to fit that in.

Tomorrow would be our last day in Moab and we planned out what we wanted to accomplish which would include Shafer road, The Shaffer switchbacks again, and Long Canyon (top to Bottom). Then go see the best of Arches Park. Remember we skipped one turnoff that first day in Moab. It turns out that is where the best Arches, and most easily accessible ones are, who knew?

Days ago I already decided that I would return to Moab again so I wasn't stressed that we didn't get done everything that I had heard about in Ride Reports. I kept reminding myself that this was my (and my friends) vacation and was about having fun, not ticking off boxes on a to-do list. From that stand point, I had succeeded, and the Moab part of the trip had been a total success.

That is new, it has only been there for a couple years. Prior to that you could drive right down to the Arch, indeed people drove right across the arch. I never had it in me to try that in my jeep, but I saw a quad do it once.

The second photo you may have found, but if not trust me it is there, a memorial to a jeeper who went over the cliff. He was the uncle of a friend of mine. As it turned out he had neglected to put on his parking brake and the vehicle started to roll off the cliff. In an effort to save the valuable jeep he jumped back in, sadly failing to stop the jeep he and the jeep went over and it killed him (obviously).

I am not sure now, but you can see a road at the bottom of the canyon, you used to be able to drive right up to the base of the arch. LOTS of sand, but a very nice drive/ride as well. Someone told me that road was closed as well, so I have not been back to find out for sure since. The blockade of the top (first photo) was such a disappointment that we have not been back often at all. Just so you know beyond where the sign now is the road went over several large steps to get down to the arch, and it was a lot of fun to enjoy getting down there. Also when you are coming in from Moab there are several large steps that have been ground down my heavy equipment, presumably in an effort to make it more accessible to people who would then have to walk to the arch.

That is new, it has only been there for a couple years. Prior to that you could drive right down to the Arch, indeed people drove right across the arch. I never had it in me to try that in my jeep, but I saw a quad do it once.

The second photo you may have found, but if not trust me it is there, a memorial to a jeeper who went over the cliff. He was the uncle of a friend of mine. As it turned out he had neglected to put on his parking brake and the vehicle started to roll off the cliff. In an effort to save the valuable jeep he jumped back in, sadly failing to stop the jeep he and the jeep went over and it killed him (obviously).

I am not sure now, but you can see a road at the bottom of the canyon, you used to be able to drive right up to the base of the arch. LOTS of sand, but a very nice drive/ride as well. Someone told me that road was closed as well, so I have not been back to find out for sure since. The blockade of the top (first photo) was such a disappointment that we have not been back often at all. Just so you know beyond where the sign now is the road went over several large steps to get down to the arch, and it was a lot of fun to enjoy getting down there. Also when you are coming in from Moab there are several large steps that have been ground down my heavy equipment, presumably in an effort to make it more accessible to people who would then have to walk to the arch.

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Wow I am sorry to hear about your friends Uncle! That would be awful. It is a long way down!! It was making me nervous just having Chris and Paul so close to the edge in that last picture. It was really windy when we were up there.

Our last day in Moab and we had a fairly easy list. Shafer road past Potash was first on it. After more fine coffee and food at the Muffin we were off! We did another quick run across 279 past Potash and onto the gravel of Shafer. We started seeing Sony Pictures trucks almost immediately as we rode past the (weird blue) drying ponds. They were crawling across the rocky steps and through the fine powdery silt that makes up most of the road. I stopped to spark up the Go Pro just in case anything interesting happened. I was following the road (and GPS) when I came upon a large cluster of movie crew vehicles and wasn't really sure how to get past. One of the crew guys came over and we started talking. He was interested in my Leatte armor and told me he had a neck brace and Thor armor. We discussed the road and he related "Mr. Smith and the Director came in the road once" "now they fly around in the chopper". I had spotted that from across the valley the day before. A security guard came over, looking up at my Go Pro and asked, "Is that on? I ignored the question, and slowly motion no with my head. He had other things to attend to and walked away. The guy I was talking to (after he was gone) asked if "I was running?" I told him yes and he looked up at the camera and waved and said Hi. We chatted and joked for a bit longer and then as one of the "players" in Sci-Fi spandex was waiting to get into the shuttle van we carried on.

We were following a few very slow set vehicles along the road and Chris and I finally cautiously passed. The road had been recently "improved" so the big vehicles for the movie could actually make it to one of the cliff-side shoot locations. This entailed adding loose gravel to fill in some of the worse "steps" Chris ran wide on an uphill corner and just over a berm of this loose gravel. I made the mistake of stopping on the hill to make sure he was OK (he was fine and got going on his own). When he got himself going I let out the clutch and dug a hole right where I was stopped (this had become all too common a theme). I hopped off the bike and gently rocked it back and forth using the clutch and was almost out of the hole when the bike started to feel like it was going over. I pulled in the brake and clutch and did my best to wrestle the bike straight up. Out of the corner of my eye I caught movement and turned my head., still fighting the bike.

The reason for the bike's sudden temperament became clear. A movie crew guy was holding the back of the bike and trying to"help". When I realized this I felt better, and silly at the same time. He said he would push so I mounted up and tried to not spray him with gravel. I waved as I rode off and hoped that he wasn't hurting considering that he was in shorts and a t-shirt.

We stopped just past the shoot site far enough away (I hoped) that the security that we passed would not see us. I pulled out the big lens to get some shots before we carried on. This was as close to Hollywood as I had ever got and it was a bit of a thrill.

The crew above the Green River.

The trail was very scenic and easy after this point but it was again getting scorching hot., I can't imagine doing this in July or August.

Near where the road meets up with White rim Trail (at the bottom of Shafer Switchbacks) it gets a lot rockier and has a few washes to go through, but still easy for us. In this stretch I came up behind a Chevy Traverse that was crawling along on the rocks. Chris rode past and stopped with Paul right behind me. I stopped just behind the Traverse and was belly laughing at the Kansas plate on the back. The window rolled down and an arm (and head) stuck out motioning me over to him. I rolled up with a huge grin and said "You're not in Kansas anymore!" The joke was lost on the young guy. The older couple with him (parents?) didn't look happy. He asked if I thought he could make it and I said I honestly didn't know, as I wasn't familiar with the last bit of this road. I told him my GPS showed that he only had about ¾ of a mile to the junction and that if he made it to turn right! I told him if he turned left he probably wouldn't make that trail.

When we got to the junction we waited for about 10 minutes to see if he would get through but there was no sign of him. I told the guys that when I got to the top of Shafer I was going over to let the Rangers know about them just in case. It was too hot to be stranded out there for any length of time. After climbing the switchbacks again (It seemed steeper the second time, funny how the mind works) I zipped over to the Canyon Lands gate and talked to the Ranger who thanked me.

From there we headed over to Long Canyon road just around the corner of 313 toward Dead Horse Point. A short straight section of Gravel took us to an amazing viewpoint and then around the corner onto a very steep but short downhill to where Chris had made it to on the previous day. Going down "Pucker Pass" was easy, unlike trying to get up. Back through Long Canyon we went, stopping at the highway (279) to congratulate ourselves and give Long Canyon the ADV salute.

We headed down the highway and into Arches. Our passes from day one were still good, so in we went. We headed straight to Windows Arch turnoff (as we had seen everything else already). We came to ride, and it was another scorcher but we were feeling good and somewhat used to the heat by now, so we did a little hiking. Along the way I lent my wide angle to another tourist and took another couples picture with their camera. I guess, body armor aside, I looked the part of a Cameraman.

Note the bottom left, another person for scale reference.

We had done everything we really wanted and decided to relax and cool off before hitting the town for dinner. Paul still wanted to buy a souvenir or two so we went back to Zak's again and had some more excellent food, before wandering along the main drag (and all the tourist shops). Tomorrow would see us break camp for the first time in a week and leave Moab behind.

That is new, it has only been there for a couple years. Prior to that you could drive right down to the Arch, indeed people drove right across the arch. I never had it in me to try that in my jeep, but I saw a quad do it once.

The second photo you may have found, but if not trust me it is there, a memorial to a jeeper who went over the cliff. He was the uncle of a friend of mine. As it turned out he had neglected to put on his parking brake and the vehicle started to roll off the cliff. In an effort to save the valuable jeep he jumped back in, sadly failing to stop the jeep he and the jeep went over and it killed him (obviously).

I am not sure now, but you can see a road at the bottom of the canyon, you used to be able to drive right up to the base of the arch. LOTS of sand, but a very nice drive/ride as well. Someone told me that road was closed as well, so I have not been back to find out for sure since. The blockade of the top (first photo) was such a disappointment that we have not been back often at all. Just so you know beyond where the sign now is the road went over several large steps to get down to the arch, and it was a lot of fun to enjoy getting down there. Also when you are coming in from Moab there are several large steps that have been ground down my heavy equipment, presumably in an effort to make it more accessible to people who would then have to walk to the arch.

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My buddies were telling me about that as we hiked in and walked around. Sorry for you loss. I can see why they closed the area. Even walking up to it you don't notice the "hole". Same with that other cliff run where literally, if you take a bad bounce on the one step you're going down the canyon 500+ feet. Forget the name of that one. Starts off with a whole bunch of rock ledges though just west of town (very vague, I know)

Moab is a magical place, but it does require some wits and common sense. Sometimes people get a little carried away. My friends and I are guilty of it. I won't deny that.

After packing up at Moab Valley RV Resort we went into town fully loaded up and managed to park in front of the Muffin. Link to the resort: http://www.moabvalleyrv.com/

The Lady at the counter smiled and said, "You're late!" Compared to normal, we were, and I explained why. The food, service and atmosphere were as always great and I can't imagine even looking for another place for breakfast in Moab the next time. Sadly though, "All good things must come to an end." Today, for us, was our time in Moab come to an end. Link to the Love Muffin; http://www.lovemuffincafe.com/

ADV We Salute You!

The three of us had separate missions to accomplish now and we would be running together for one last day. The most efficient way to get north that I could see was going to be Hwy.191 all the way past Flaming Gorge Park and then onto Jackson Wyoming.

We wanted to hit Yellowstone National Park before our paths diverged. It was an ambitious undertaking and would be a long day of mostly boring highway miles. Flaming Gorge is a really nice spot and had some interesting switchbacks coming down the hill. I was perhaps having a little too much fun just before crossing the state line into Wyoming from Utah when a state trooper flipped on his lights just ahead of me. I slowed and he turned them off and carried on, phew! We hit I-80 at Green River, WY and jumped off at Rock Springs, back on 191 north. That stretch was very long, and dull, but improved past Boulder, WY. It actually got fairly cold running through Hoback Canyon and we had (unnecessarily) been
warned to watch for "critters", as this was an ingrained habit for me.

We had also been warned that it would get cold at night (28 degrees the night before) so we voted for a hotel when we got to Jackson. After a few false starts, looking for a hotel / motel (Pulling in front of the Best Western Jackson Hole and Chris saying; "I hope you have your Gold Card" and finding No Vacancy signs on a couple of others, we ended up in front of The Virginian of Jackson Hole. Sam and Dean Winchester would have been proud (if you understand that reference) and it was like going back in time.

The price was acceptable and there was a restaurant and bar and the whole enchilada. The severed heads in the lobby and the over-sized (button tufted) leather chairs added to the hunting lodge feel. The outside of the building did nothing to take away from that, nor the wood paneling in the room. The room had 3 Queen size beds and a mini fridge and microwave, explaining the mini-suite designation. It was very clean though and that was all that really mattered.

We would miss the restaurant at the Lodge but had been told of a nice place a block down and across the street that was open late. We cleaned up and wandered over in the failing light of day. The place was very interesting and decorated in an aeronautical theme with large-scale planes from various eras hanging from the ceiling. The speakers boomed out the TV programs at a somewhat obnoxious level, but aside from that it was good. I even managed to get a Hockey update on the Kings, Devils series. The food was nothing to write home about, but OK. The beer was good after a long day in the saddle. Sleep came quick when we returned to our mini-suite. The bikes would be covered in frost the next morning proving our choice of hotel vs. campground a good one.

Care to explain why Chris' DR has a "two-tone" front fender (yellow in front, white in back)? It appears to be a hybrid of some sort as the front (yellow) portion doesn't look like o.e. Suzuki. Thanks.

Lycan1 said:

He can field that one but, I know he told me.... Supermotard fender.. because the stock was a bit floppy at highway speeds.... if I recall correctly.

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Did Chris reply and I missed it? I was wondering what brand of SuMo fender and how the "graft" was done. Chris can send a PM to me, if he's an inmate. Thanks.

The big Orange beast did really well and it was only the upper half of the machine (the rider) that had issues. I would however run a different rear tire for the sandy conditions around Moab next time. I was running a Hiedenau K60 and it is great for the highway and most off-road conditions, but it seemed to just dig itself in when things got really soft. That may have been rider Technic issues to, though.

Other than boiling fuel one day, the extra fan modification did the trick and the 990 never even came close to overheating, even when the temp climbed above 112 degrees. The suspension was superb on even the worst surfaces and I think I had it dialed in perfectly after a little tinkering. Even when Paul was being pounded badly on his bike I could ride sitting down comfortably. Standing up, even the worst rock steps didn't bottom the suspension out.

I did not know the gentleman, and if I recall the accident was in 1980, or 1984, something like that. Like I said, it has been a while since I was there. Our friend mentioned it to me when we brought her along no a family trip to Moab six years ago.

Lycan,

This has been a great trip for me to read. Thanks so much for sharing it with us all. (especially when it is 91/33 degrees out!)

The big Orange beast did really well and it was only the upper half of the machine (the rider) that had issues. I would however run a different rear tire for the sandy conditions around Moab next time. I was running a Hiedenau K60 and it is great for the highway and most off-road conditions, but it seemed to just dig itself in when things got really soft. That may have been rider technic issues to, though.

Other than boiling fuel one day, the extra fan modification did the trick and the 990 never even came close to overheating, even when the temp climbed above 112 degrees. The suspension was superb on even the worst surfaces and I think I had it dialed in perfectly after a little tinkering. Even when Paul was being pounded badly on his bike I could ride sitting down comfortably. Standing up, even the worst rock steps didn't bottom the suspension out.

I was very happy with the Adventure's performance all in all.

Next time it's going on Slick Rock trail!

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Is Slick Rock the "MTB" trail once you enter the park?

We did that on day one and it's easy with exception to a few tricky turns. It's more the angles that had my knobbies screaming. Both times you are side hilling a moderate slope and have to do a down hill switch back turn nearly at bar lock. You can feel the tires squirming with all the pressure on the front tire. Easy on a 25lb MTB, not so easy on a 400lb dirt bike that just wants to go DOWN! I imagine a 990 would make things really interesting. The point of staying upright and turning downhill is a fine balancing line. An amazing thing to experience from such a simple trial. Pretty neat! We has some MTB'rs watching us and I had a feeling they were waiting for carnage! Sadly, we both were without incident.

I miss Moab. I'm so happy to be going in a few weeks again but I think the weather will play it's part. I'm more suited for high elevation CO. It's just Moab is so alien.

Next update soon? You're really pounding it out! RR's are time consuming!

Did Chris reply and I missed it? I was wondering what brand of SuMo fender and how the "graft" was done. Chris can send a PM to me, if he's an inmate. Thanks.

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Sorry 'bout that, I was away.
I think it's just a generic sumo fender but the PO put it on so I don't know where it came from. If you look closely (no good pix) it's just hacked out around the forks so I'm pretty sure it's not specific to the mighty DR. It works well as it doesn't flop around and provides adequate protection.